Music
▼ Local Reviews
Local Reviews: Location Location
This is some contrived, pop-ass, middle-aged rock. Yet despite its lame genre and lame intentions, it is actually pretty good for what it is. The songwriting is well-crafted and incorporates interesting background percussion and effects. … read more
Local Reviews: La Farsa
La Farsa’s visual packaging, replete with feather boas, top hats, elbow-length gloves and evening gowns, when paired with their survey sample of twentieth-century musical styles that includes soul, blues, doo-wop and a strange type of Balkan-gypsy minstrel-show thing going on, speaks for a band born in the wrong century. … read more
Local Reviews: Fox Van Cleef
These Ogden boys sound like the kind of blues you might have found in a smokey tavern 30 years ago where the drinks were cheap and the waitresses underdressed. The first vocal line by Dustin Bessire on “Somethin’ ‘bout the Way and Groovy Tuesdays” is a dead ringer for Dr. John, with a low, throaty growl behind the wail. … read more
Local Reviews: Various Artists
The first release from Utah Heavy Guitar Rock Records is a free compilation with Volume 2 already at its heels. The aptly-titled comp of 10 artists is a stark eye-opener, showcasing some serious guitar chops as well as strong songwriting abilities. … read more
Local Reviews: The Lionelle
Musically, The Lionelle could easily exist as a simple vehicle for Tate Law’s strange but drop-dead affecting voice. Law’s vocals, if you haven’t heard them, sound like a mix between a collapsed-lung Tim Kasher and an emotionally attached Johnny Whitney. … read more
Local Reviews: Joseph (The Voluptuary) Smith
The most striking thing about this record, straight off the bat, is that the all-black plastic CD case has a small castle (temple?) adorned with a sparkly mushroom placed on the middle of the cover—that’s three-dimensionally, sticking out about three inches! … read more
Local Reviews: Exer Ovu
Exer Ovu, the acoustic music project of Derek Griffith, uniquely combines the energy of acoustic punk with the flamboyance of freak folk. Griffith has an expressive voice that he uses mostly to good effect, notably on opener “You’re Making Me Nervous,” a minute-long blast of hoarse four-chord punk. … read more
Local Reviews: Data Booty
I have listened to this tape over 1000 times now, no joke. There is something about booty house music that is so refreshing in a world of music where everyone takes themselves so seriously. MSSV Music has probably the best lineup of artists testing out new musical paths right now, and they offer free mixtapes from their site regularly. … read more
Local reviews: Chris DeVito
Opening track “No Sense of Rhythm” starts this album off promisingly with propulsive drums and taut New Wave guitar, culminating in an arena-era Police-esque chorus. Considering Chris DeVito learned drums to record this album, it’s impressive how percussion-centered the album is. … read more
Local Reviews: Books about UFOs
People say that Books about UFOs is a garage group, and the band cites 13th Floor Elevators as an influence, but they couldn’t sound less psychedelic if they tried. If you go into this expecting to hear anything even close to The Sonics or The Reigning Sound, you’ll be pretty dissatisfied. … read more